Your Overmedicated Parent

Recently, a story was published on MSNBC about the effects of overmedication

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

in older adults. Polypharmacy, as it is called, is the use of multiple medications.  Sometimes it’s a difficult condition to assess because doctors may attribute any abnormal or change in behavior as a normal effect of the illness the medications are used for.  I often wondered if this was the case for my mom. She went from taking 2 pills a day prior to her fall last year to 7 medications. The 3 medicines she was taking consisted of high blood pressure pills, Namenda for Alzheimers and diabetes medication. Because of her agitated state last year, she was put on 4 other pills for treating her anxiety. They consisted of anti-psychotics and anti-depressants.

Fortunately, my mom’s agitation has decreased a great deal. She no longer screams all night, or cries. However, her once spunky behavior has diminished. She’s almost “too” calm. It’s a tricky balance for us because we don’t want her to feel scared or angry. Yet, we don’t want her to be a vegetable either. For us, it’s a matter of choosing from the 2 evils and for now, she will stay on her meds unless something changes.

Some Facts

• Polypharmacy is common for those over age 65
• Over 1 million adverse reactions from meds occurs every year in the U.S.
• Adding more drugs actually worsens the problem of a disease rather than help. Many doctors mistake the symptoms as a worsening of the disease and start to overmedicate the patient.
• In a “pill-popping” culture, patients are also to blame for asking for mediine to “fix” a problem that doesn’t exist.
• The problem is compounded when a person visits many doctors. They may not know what other doctors prescribed to the patient for other ailments. *Fortunately, my parents belong to the same healthcare system and see doctors within that healthcare system. What one doctor prescribes, the other doctor can see on the patient chart online immediately.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Personal Health: The ‘Poisonous Cocktail’ of Multiple Drugs
• Polypharmacy awareness